Thayer Elizabeth Ellis

Food companies with sales in California have until October 4, 2026, to bring products into compliance with SB 343. This means taking steps now to evaluate whether product packaging is eligible to be labeled recyclable in California and begin the process of making necessary changes to packaging and labeling.

The three states leading the development of EPR legislation are California, Colorado and Oregon. Under these states’ EPR laws, producers must either (1) join Circular Action Alliance as the approved producer responsibility organization (PRO) in California and Colorado, and the single active PRO in Oregon, or independently comply with the requirements of each state’s statute.

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is an environmental policy enacted by several states, which extends a manufacturer’s responsibility for its product packaging materials to the end of the product’s life cycle. While there is no cost to register with Circular Action Alliance for now, companies should be prepared for costs associated with EPR reporting and the fees assessed based on quantity of covered materials. What is Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)?